5 Dragon Princesses
by TheEarthbendingRavenclaw
Summary: There are five dragon keeps in the world. One to the North amongst the Vikings. One to the south in Egypt. One to the east in China. One to the west amongst the Moors. And one right in the middle amongst the Romans. Only the five rulers of these lands know where they are, though. This why their daughters have been taken for ransom. (Post HTTYD 3. SPOILERS BEWARE!)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Let me start this by saying I realize I am dealing with a lot of ancient cultures on this story, none of which are my own. I will do my best to be as sensitive and respectful as I can (while still being semi historically accurate) but if you see me make a mistake know that it is not intentional and that I mean no harm. And feel free to respectfully call me out on it! I am all for learning new things!**

Chapter One:

"Hm," the tall, brooding man stroked at his well shaven chin as he look over all the information his spies had brought him. He chuckled to himself.

"It's all too easy!" He smirked as he slumped towards his study to give the orders.

IIIIIIIIIIIII

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Hullo? Hullo!"

Hiccup grumbled as he opened his eyes. It was still dark out! Who was knocking at this hour? And for what? If it was Bucket and Mulch arguing over whose yak was whose again, he swore!

He rolled over onto his side, fumbling for his prosthetic leg.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Hiccup shouted as he strapped on his leg, stood up, and stumbled towards his trunk of clothing.

"Who ish it?" Astrid grumbled as she raised her head.

"I dunno," Hiccup grumbled as he got dressed. "But I'll handle it. Go back to sleep."

He pinned the chief's mantle to his shirt and headed downstairs. He opened the door and found Magda, a young mother whose husband was away on a fishing trip. This was certainly more urgent than a fight over a yak.

"Magda?" Hiccup asked.

"Chief, I'm sorry to bother you but my Ivar has a horrible fever. Little one can barely get a breath in."

Hiccup nodded solemnly. "Wait here."

He disappeared back into the house and climbed back up the stairs. He ran past his and Astrid's room and stopped to knock on the door to the right.

"Zephyr," he called as he creaked the door open. "Zephyr."

His teenage daughter lay on her back, still on her day clothes, a book covering her face, her hands still stained with charcoal, and a melted and dead candle by her bedside.

"Typical," Hiccup sighed, knowing full and well he had no room to talk as he made his way to her bed and knocked on the headboard of her bed.

Zephyr startles awake, sitting straight up and knocking her book into her lap.

"Hello?" She groggily asked.

"Why all the knockin'?" A voice whined from across the hall as a young boy who was not quite a teenager but no longer a child stumbled into the hall from the room across from his sister's. "It still dark out."

"Go back to sleep, Nuffink," Hiccup said before kneeling to Zephyr's eye level.

"Whatsa matta?" Zephyr yawned as she stretched.

"Ivar, Magda's boy," Hiccup answered. "He's got a fever and can't breathe."

All signs of sleepiness left Zephyr in a snap. She jumped to her feet, scrambling to put her boots on and grab a satchel off a peg by her bed. She grabbed a ribbon off her nearby desk to tie her messy auburn hair into a ponytail before heading out into the hallway.

Nuffink rolled his eyes as he shuffled to the railing overlooking the main room of the house. He leaned his head in his hands as he watched his sister run about collecting things.

"Your ground mustard's in the cabinet," he reminded her. "Other cabinet. No, other one. Getting warmer. Warmer. Hot! Lava! Oh, nope, you're cooling off. Cold. Ice cold. Frozen. Go back!"

"Shut up!" Zephyr grumbled as she retraced her steps and found the small bundle she'd been looking for and stored it in her satchel. She rubbed her hands together as she thought of what else she might need.

"Your oils are to the left," Nuffink called.

Herbal oils! Of course. Zephyr moved to another cabinet before she heard Nuffink call:

"Other left."

Zephyr grumbled in her throat as she slammed the cabinet shut, only to be greeted by a stamping on the floor from upstairs, most definitely her mother telling her to quiet down. Zephyr cringed as she collected her oil bottles, and grabbed some cheese cloth while she was at it.

"You'll need more than that to make a plaster," Nuffink pointed out. Zephyr glowered at him, but he simply jerked his head towards the steps.

"Under the stairs," he said. "Your tea leaves are there too. Take the ones on the right, left aren't dried yet."

"I know what leaves are dry and which are not," Zephyr hissed.

"Just saying," Nuffink shrugged as his sister headed to the front door, but not for long.

"Your not taking any water?" Nuffink asked. "How are you going to make tea without water?"

"If you know so much about medicines why don't you become the healer?" Zephyr snapped as she went to grab a canteen.

"Because I don't like people," Nuffink answered. "But I do like sleep so I'm going back to bed."

"Good riddance," Zephyr sighed as she dunked her canteen onto the water trough in the kitchen to fill it. Hiccup came down the stairs with two coats. He threw one over Zephyr's shoulders then slipped on his own.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Mm-hm," Zephyr nodded as she set the canteen in with the rest of her supplies.

"Alright, lets go."

The two met Magda back at the front door and followed her through the snow to her house. Little Ivar was bundled up in a blanket next to the fireplace. A barking sort of cough wracked through his entire body.

Without missing a beat Zephyr pulled a handkerchief out from her satchel and tied it around her mouth and nose as she knelt at the boys side and placed her eat to his chest.

"Croup," she said began digging through her satchel.

"Is it bad?" Magda gasped.

"It's not the worse I've seen, but it's not good," Zephyr answered as she pulled out her bundle of ground mustard. "Do you have any flour?"

"Yes ma'am," Magda nodded as she shuffled to the kitchen.

"We'll need to heat up some water, and I'll need a bowl," Zephyr said.

"I've already got a kettle over the fire," Magda called.

"Perfect," Zephyr smiled as she used one of the many rags she always kept on her to take the kettle off. Magda came back with the flour and bowl. Zephyrs mixed the the flour, water, and mustard together until she made a paste. She then scooped the contents into the cheesecloth and folded it up into a strange pillow like thing she then set on one arm as she unwrapped Ivar from his blankets with the other.

Ivar whined and shivered at the cold as Zephyr open his shirt.

"Sh," Zephyr whispered as she stroked his head and placed the plaster on his chest. "You'll be okay."

Ivar coughed again as Zephyr wrapped him back up.

"That should help his breathing," Zephyr sands "I'll need to go get some willow bark to help his fever, though."

"Want me to come with you?" Hiccup asked.

"No, stay here," Zephyr said. "You'll have to make another plaster of that one cools off before I get back. I'll go as fast as I can, though, I promise."

And with that she headed to the stables to get her horse.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Iris yawned as she sat up and stretched. A warm breeze blew through her window overlooking the pyramids that held the bodies of her ancestors. She sighed as she stood, but on her thin silk robe, and headed towards her window to watch the sunrise over the Nile.

Her tutors would be coming soon, but not before her attendants got her ready for the day. And what a day she had planned! First her usual lessons, then a chariot race between her, Lapis, and Net. Then she'd be fencing with some of the palace guards in the town square. Who knew? Maybe she and her sisters would even perform a dance?

She sighed. It was all silly, really. Her father and brothers were away at war, trying to stop a tribe of desert travelers from attacking their farmlands. The tribesmen had become exceedingly difficult to handle. Even with all their dragons.

A flock of hatchling Uraeus, serpentine dragons that looked like winged cobras, landed on Iris' window sill. She smiled as she held her hand out to them, letting their tongues tickle her palm before their mother called them away.

Yes, even these magnificent beasts were at risk, for the tribesmen had begun to steal them away. Still, it was her duty as princess to keep her people safe and happy. And if that meant some silly races, tournaments, and dance to boost morale and confidence, so be it.

"Good morning, Princess," a chorus of voices called as Iris' ladies-in-waiting came.

"Good morning ladies," Iris smiled as she let them help her get dressed. Once her pure white gown had been laced to perfection on her body the ladies-in-waiting let the royal advisor's in.

"Much to see today, Princess," one said.

"Go ahead and throw out all the marriage proposals," Iris sighed, causing the elder men to clear their throats as they stuffed various letters and gifts away.

"I've said it once and I'll say it again," Iris heaved an exasperated breath. "I will not wed until Egypt is at peace once more. Besides, ruling in Father's stead is hard enough as is. I don't need a husband getting in my way."

"Speaking of which, the construction of the new southern gate is far behind schedule," another advisor said.

"Oh, well we can't have that," Iris stated. "For is the harvest going?"

"Excellent, much more plentiful than expected," the same advisor answered.

"Send someone to select 100 farmers to leave to harvest and assist at the Southern gate," Iris ordered. "Those who volunteer will be awarded with twelve gold pieces."

"Twelve?" the oldest advisor asked. "Don't you think that's a bit much?"

"Not as much as we'd lose if the southern tribes were to invade us because the gate and wall isn't complete," Iris answered.

"What eye paint do you want today, Princess?" one of ladies-in-waiting asked.

"You know, Nubia, I'm feeling a bit green today," Iris answered.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Excuse me, Princess, but I believe one gold piece will be sufficient payment," the old advisor continued. "If you become too generous with the people they will come to demand more."

"I'm asking them to leave their homes and venture to a dangerously compromised area of the kingdom. If anything they are the generous ones," Iris stated as she closed her eyes to allow her maids to paint her eyelids.

"With all due respect, your highness, you are young. Only eighteen. I have lived for many years, and have seen many-"

"Then why did my father appoint me as temporary ruler in his stead and not you?" Iris turned to glare at the older man, her green eyes paint only intensifying the gaze of her hazel eyes.

The old advisor ducked his head, a crimson blush forming over his face. "I'll send out the order," he said before leaving.

"Mm-hmm," Iris murmured as she closed her eyes again so the rest of her make-up could be completed.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Liling craned her neck to watch the sun rise over the Forbidden city's walls. She waited until it had risen high in the sky and flooded her face with warmth to bring her flute back to her lips and keep playing a soft and humble tune she'd learned yesterday.

"Cheep! Cheep!" a Hong called as it slithered to her, curling its rainbow colored body so that the heads on either end of its body could watch and listen to her. Liling smiled, stopping her playing to pet the tiny dragon. A few more Hong began to slither up to her, their bright scales glistening in the early light of dawn. They all cheeped at her, sounding like baby songbirds, begging her to play some more.

Liling sighed as she fulfilled their wish. They were just like her, these little dragons. Tiny and pretty, but frail and timid. They had no wings, no venom. Their fire was only strong enough to cook the fruits growing in the trees they called home. They, like her, were as delicate and helpless as a nightingale, kept safe in the gilded cage that was the palace walls.

"Liling!"

Liling gasped as the Hong screeched and slithered away. Liling quickly stood to her feet and curtseyed.

"Second brother! Fourth brother! I was not expecting you," she said.

Chen, her fourth eldest brother, stomped towards her and jerked the flute from her hands. "What are you doing bothering the Imperial dragons? And at this early hour?"

"I...I wasn't...the Hong like to hear my music," she insisted.

Chen's eyes narrowed, making Liling shrink in fear. She knew Chen hated her for many reasons. She was the only daughter of their father's favorite wife, and thus perhaps his favorite child. Her full-blooded brother, Pan, was to be the next emperor, Despite Chen being the Empress' son. Liling was beloved to all in the palace. And dragons of all kinds flocked to her, but ran from Chen.

Dragons and royalty were supposed to be kindred spirits. Being the Empress' only living son dragons should rush to be by Chen's side, but they always came to Liling instead.

"Chen, enough," Pan said as he stepped in between the two. Though he was not the empress' child, he was the second born prince. After the first born prince, Chen's older brother, died of a horrid illness Pan was declared to be the heir. The fact that he, like Liling, was the favored Consort's son, probably helped in that decision as well. As well as

"It's not good for her to be out this early," Chen insisted. "There's no one to watch her. What will people think when they hear of the first princess of China wandering about on her own?"

"What bad can come to her while she's still in the harem's walls?" Pan asked with a soft smile. "Besides she was practicing her music. Any deserving princess of China will know all the sacred songs of the empire. Heaven should smile on her for being as diligent to wake with the sun every morning in order to improve herself."

Liling smiled softly, but Chen wasn't done.

"And the fact she was disturbing the dragons? Our imperial equals? You have nothing to-"

"Dragons, as you know fourth brother, are attracted to goodness and purity. Our sister is only twelve, still a child. What is more pure than a child? And her heart is great and full of kindness that of course dragons would flock to her. Unlike some people," Pan's eyes narrowed at Chen.

Chen glowered, but he said nothing more and stalked off.

Liling watched him go, shuddering slightly. "I hope I don't marry a man like him," she whispered.

"You're still too young to worry about such things," Pan chuckled as he set a hand on her shoulder. "But don't fret, I will make sure Father chooses a gentle and caring man to be your husband when the time comes."

Lilling smiled and nodded as Pan kissed her forehead. "Now go have a walk in the gardens to calm yourself before your lessons," he suggested. "It's not good for you to be so frightened all the time."

But how can I not be? Liling thought as Pan walked off. As the eldest daughter, the first princess of the empire, all eyes were on her. She had to be perfect, pretty, and poised at all times. There was no room for error. She sighed as she took Pan's advice and headed to the gardens to calm herself so she could go back to playing her assigned part in life: being China's perfect little nightingale.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Claudia whispered one last prayer before standing to her feet, She open the small bottle of perfume she'd brought and poured it on the altar in front of Minerva's statue. She then turned to walk back to her bodyguards, smiling and nodding to all in line behind her who had also come to pray. There were even more people waiting outside the temple. Some of them had come to ask the goddess for wisdom or protection, but others had just come catch a glimpse of Claudia, the beloved princess of Rome who came to the temple every day to pray for her kingdom's protection.

Claudia smiled and waved at all of them, but only spoke to one, the boy holding the large fan waiting for.

"I hope I wasn't too long," she said as the boy lifted the fan to shield her from the sun. "And that your arms aren't tired."

"Not at all, your Grace," the boy said.

"Antonio, you know you can just call me 'Claudia,'" she smiled.

"Not in public, your grace," Antonio whispered, glancing to make sure none of the guards had heard him. He let out a sigh of half relief half annoyance. When would Claudia learn? No matter how close they were there were still classes and rules. She was a princess. He was a slave. Even after he'd bought his freedom, she'd still be high above his reach. They could only be friends behind closed doors.

She never understood though, no matter how many people explained it to her. She was too innocent for this world.

As the procession passed by the colosseum a loud cheer shook the air. A gate opened up and a group of burly men carried out a bloodied and dead Hydra. Claudia gasped and held her hands to her mouth, tears brimming her eyes.

Antonio moved the fan to shield her eyes, but the damage was done.

"Oi!" the captain of the bodyguard shouted. "Check before you drag that carcass out! There's a lady present!"

"Sorry, princess," the men shouted as they scrambled to drag the hydra away and out of sight. Claudia's brow knitted together as she set a hand on her chest.

"Shall we go back to punish them once you're home, Princess?" the captain asked.

Claudia shook her head but kept frowning.

"Your Grace?" Antonio asked softly.

"That was a little one," Claudia grumbled. "No more than a baby." She took a shaky breath and wiped at her tears. "What good does outlawing the hunt of dragons do if we're only going to kill the in arenas?"

"I know the gladiator fights displease you, Princess," the captain said. "But this is the price we must pay for Rome's strength."

"How is shedding the blood of innocent creatures supposed to make us stronger?" Claudia asked.

The captain smiled pitifully at her. "It would be impossible for you women to understand. You're such tender beings."

Claudia hung her head, and Antonio quickly hid away his anger. The most powerful woman in Rome still being treated like a naive child by a mere body guard. Such was the life Rome's only princess.

"You've been greatly upset today," the captain continued. "Let us take you home so you can rest and recover."

Claudia nodded. The rest of the trek was made in silence. The guards left once Claudia was safely brought to her chambers and handed into her maid's care.

"Is there anything else I can do, your grace?" Antonio asked with a bow of his head as the maids help Claudia remove her jewelry and let down her golden hair.

"Guard my door," Claudia answered. "I don't want to be bothered by any visitors today.'

"Yes, your grace," Antonio nodded as he closed the chamber doors and sat down at the chair next to it. Not long after Claudia's father appeared coming down the hallways towards Claudia's rooms.

"Hail, mighty Caesar," Antonio bowed deeply. "The Princess has requested no visitors. She is resting."

The Caesar sighed as he stared sadly at the door. "Oh, Claudia. Such a delicate young thing you are," he mused.

Antonio kept his face blank, but inside he was quite agitated. Claudia was not delicate! Gentle, yes. Tender-hearted, yes. Sensitive, to a fault! But never delicate!

Not even in health as her mother was. It was one of the few differences between them. Though, that did make everything a bit more understandable. Claudia's mother died only a few hours after her birth. The Caesar spent almost a year in mourning. As frail as the late queen had been the Caesar loved her dearly. So no wonder he kept Claudia so tightly guarded. She wasn't just his only child, but she was the spitting image of her mother.

"When she wakes tell her I sent for her," the Caesar ordered.

"Of course, your grace," Antonio bowed again.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Rima grinned ear to ear as she bounded through the vastness of the mostly empty harem. A few servant girls waved to her as the made her way to the Valide Sultan's chambers.

"Granmama!" she called, running towards the elder woman's side as she sat in her lavish throne going over the palace's financial records.

"Ah, my little sparrow," the Valide Sultan smiled as she held her arms out to hug the girl.

"Look what I made for you," Rima said as she held out the flower she'd knitted. The valide Sultan's eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?"

"I'm insulted," Rima gasped. "Must a girl need a reason to give her grandmother a gift?"

"No, but you do," the older woman said, setting the flower on top of her head. "You want to go outside again, don't you?"

"Please," Rima batted her eyelashes and clasped her hands together under her chin.

"Ah!" the Valide Sultan threw her hands in the air. "My little sparrow is just like her father, caring nothing for tradition!"

"No one would have to see me," Rima said. "I just want to go riding in the meadows."

"The meadows again? You and your sibling have the entire harem to yourselves! You do not have to share with other wives like all those before you, but it is still not enough for you, eh?"

"Granmama, please?" Rima begged.

The Valide Sultan sighed deeply. "Alright. Alright! But you take a dozen guards with you!"

"One?"

"Eleven."

"Two?"

"Six."

"Deal!" Rima kissed the older woman's cheek and bounded off. "Thank you, Granmama!"

The Valide Sultan sighed as she went back to the finances. There was a reason she called Rima her little sparrow. Her spirit was as free and boundless as the little bird's wings. A grand thing, to be sure, but dangerous for a Moorish princess. Especially now. So many people her father had angered. So many traditions he'd broken. He allowed all people of all walks of life and religions to live in their lands unprosecuted. He allowed boys and girls to attend the royal academies so long as they could afford it. He took only one wife, and refused to have any concubines.

He'd brought about too much change in too short a time. Now here Rima was, a wild and rambunctious child, nothing like the poised and proper lady a girl of her stature was expected to be. Still, she was only fourteen. She had two more years before she would be considered a woman. Why not let her be a child while she still could?

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Rima laughed as she and her horse bounded down the hill, the wind tearing at her head scarf. A loud roar sounded above her. Rima looked up and gasped as a massive dragon flew over head.

"Faster," she urged her steed, now racing the gigantic beast. The guards followed close behind her, making sure to keep their horses back a bit so Rima could enjoy her moment of freedom.

That turned out to be a mistake. One by one each of them dropped off their horses, a dart sticking out of their necks. Rima was so caught up in her race against the dragon that she didn't notice her guards slowly being replaced by Roman soldiers. That was until one road ahead of her and cut her off.

"Wai-Wha-?" Rima asked as she and her steed were surrounded.

'Who are you?" she asked. "What-"

"Don't worry," one of the soldiers said in broken arabic. "We're not going to hurt you. We just need you to come with us."

Before Rima could respond another soldier threw a scarf over her face, covering her mouth. Another grabbed her hands and tied them tightly behind her back. Rima tried to scream for help, but it was no use. The soldier that had spoken to her lifted her off his horse and tossed her over the back of his saddle like a bag of grain.

"Let's go," he ordered in latin and the group rode off.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Senator Phineas," Antonio stood and bowed. "What a pleasant surprise."

The senator in question said nothing as he moved towards Claudia's chambers.

"I'm afraid you can't go in," Antonio said. "The princess is-"

A sharp pain shot through Antonio's neck and he collapsed, but didn't black out. A familiar, warm sense of drowsiness overcame him. This was not the first Chimera venom had been used on him. Not by a long shot. Still, he wasn't fully immune. Just enough to keep from passing out, meaning he saw as Phineas shot each and every maid inside the chambers with a similar dart, before finally shooting Claudia.

Claudia collapsed against her bed. Phineas strode over to her, lifted her into his arms, and then tossed her out the window. He then turned and left, never noticing Antonio was still awake and slowly crawling towards the window.

"Claudia…" he gasped as he shakily stood to his feet and looked out the window. Claudia, thankfully, had been caught by four soldiers. Unfortunately, they were storing her into a carriage. Antonio swung one leg out the window and began climbing down the winding vines. It was slow going as he was still woozy from the dart. By the time he made it to the ground Phineas had returned and the carriage took off. Antonio ran, then tripped, then got back up and ran once again. It didn't take long for him to lose sight of the carriage, but he continued to follow the tracks. There was no way he was letting them do anything to his princess!

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Crack!

Liling gasped as she turned towards the noise. She'd thought she was the only one in the gardens.

"Hello?" she asked softly. She saw no one, but she knew she'd heard something.

"Pan? Chen?" she called. "Mother?"

No answer.

"Hello?" her voice wavered as she lifted her skirt a bit, ready to run, but too late.

A strong hand slapped across her mouth as two men appeared on either side of her. She gasped, but in doing so she inhaled to substance on the cloth over her mouth. The world began to spin, then blur, and then go completely black.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Don't be too disappointed when I beat you," Net called as Iris stepped into her chariot.

"Hah," Iris scoffed to her younger sister as she took up the reigns. "In your dreams."

"Both of yours," Lapis called from where she stood in her own chariot.

The crowds were already cheering before the signal was even given. Iris' horses took off, leaving both of her sisters in the dust. She cackled loudly at their protests.

"You started early!"

"You cheat!"

"Not my fault you're both slow," Iris shouted as she turned a corner out of town and into the desert. The crowd's cheers left her as she galloped into the sandy openness. She urged her horses to go even faster, leaving her sisters even further behind her.

Then it happened. She felt a sharp pain in her neck, then blackness.

Iris fell straight back out of the chariot. A group of horsemen rode over the sand dunes and towards her.

"Simple enough," one of them said as another tossed her onto the back of his saddle.

"IRIS!"

The horsemen turned and saw Lapis and Net's chariots racing towards them.

"Let's go," the leader said as they rode off into the desert.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Whoa," Zephyr urged her horse to stop outside a willow grove not far outside of New Berk. She hopped down and fed the steed an apple she'd brought with her as she patted it's mane. She then made her way to a large willow tree and began carefully carving out a bit of the bark.

She'd just cut off a decent size triangle when she heard footsteps crunching through the snow towards her.

Turning around she saw a group of Roman soldiers stalking towards her. At least a dozen of them!

"Is that her?" one asked.

'Yeah, that's her."

Zephyr's stomach began to churn. That didn't sound good. They were beginning to close in, separating her from her horse. She gripped the bark and her knife tightly in her hands, using the blade to scratch a note into the wood. If nothing else the willow bark had to make it back to Ivar.

She put the knife away and set her hand on the hilt of the sword she'd stopped at home to grab, waiting to see what would happen.

One of the soldiers pulled out a small crossbow and took a shot at her. She deflected it with her blade, catching the soldiers off guard long enough to slide between the main one's legs and to her horse. She jumped onto it's back, dug her heels into its sides and stuffed the bark into her saddle bag as the horse galloped off. A sharp pain shot down the back of her neck and she blacked out, toppling from the saddle. The horse, however, kept running towards New Berk.

"Phew! Feisty, that one," one of the soldiers whistled as he walked to her side. He picked her up and slung her over her shoulder. "Alright boys, let's go home."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Zephyr slowly opened her eyes, vaguely aware of the fact she was moving. She tried to yawn, but there was something covering her mouth. She snapped awake. She was in a cart of some sorts. Well, a cage on a cart to be more exact. Her hands were tied behind her back and a scarf around her mouth. What on-

Then she remembered,

And became aware of how hot it was!

Slowly she sat up and looked out off the cage bars. The land around her was covered in plush green grass, with few trees to block her view. Neat and tidy rows of strange, vine like plants full of tiny round, purple fruits occasionally appeared, tended by well-tanned men and women dressed in what looked like thin, white ship sails wrapped around them. Wherever she was she was clearly a long way from New Berk.

"She should be the last of them."

Zephyr turned her head towards the voice. Two men sat at the front of the cart. One was driving, the other held a crossbow in his lap. They were speaking latin. That probably meant she was in Rome somewhere. That made sense, seeing as Romans had attacked her.

But why?

Roman and Viking interactions were relatively new. The first Roman ship landed at Berk only ten years ago. Still, so far the interactions had been peaceful. The two nations traded goods approximately four to seven times a year, enough that Hiccup found it necessary to see to it that she and Nuffink learned latin. She'd keep that a secret for now. Maybe they'd let some information spill if they thought she couldn't understand them.

"Other four should already be there," the driver said.

"Good," the bowman answered. "This whole operation is making me nervous."

"Which you think is gonna figure it out first?"

"I don't know, but someone will."

The cart stopped at a gate.

Other four? Zephyr thought. So perhaps she wasn't the only one they took?

The gate opened and the cart rolled in. Zephyr looked about her surroundings and gasped. She squinted at a sight that had caught her attention in the far left. There was no way…

But sure enough, there it was! And suddenly she had plan….

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Gentlemen! And lady!"

Griselda cringed from where she sat between her two comrades in the middle of a Roman Senator's study of all places. It was the last place she, or Chantai, or Ragnar expected to be.

"I so greatly appreciate all of you coming," their host, Senator Phineas, said as he stood up from behind his desk and walked towards them, two of his slaves busying themselves preparing wine goblets behind them.

"We have much to discuss, my friends," Phineas continued.

"Such as?" Chantai asked.

"Why, conquering the world of course," Phineas answered as one of his slaves brought him an ornate, bejeweled goblet. The other shuffled humbly to the three warlords with a tray of gold wine glasses on it, all luxurious but not as shimmering as Phineas'. It was a signal to them. A signal claiming who was now in charge. Griselda knew it, but dipped her wine nonetheless.

"Now, don't be discouraged, good friends, over your failure 20 years ago. You had the right idea, just not the right direction or connections," Phineas said before sipping his drink.

"And you can give us that?" Chantai asked, an eyebrow arched in doubt.

"Certainly," Phineas nonchalantly twirled his wine. "As I already said, you had the right idea. As far as conquering the world is concerned dragons are the way to do it. I'd even say you were wise in where you planned to obtain those dragons." He gestured to a map of the world on his study wall. A far more complete one than any Griselda had seen in a long time.

"The dragon population in the north is, or was, the most plentiful. And in theory it should have been the easy to gain control of. There's no civilizations in the north. Just a few villages of savages scattered here and there." Phineas sighed in a dramatic fashion. "No one would have guessed one of those infidels would find the northern keep before you did."

"Northern keep?" Ragnar asked, leaning forward in interest.

"As I'm sure you know, though those savages do not, there are five regions in the world with dragons. Some more bountiful than others, but still. That must mean there are five keeps, or lairs, or hidden words, what have you. One, we've already established, is in the northern archipelago and is apparently under the control of one of the savage chiefs."

"Yes," Chantai nodded slowly.

"There is a central one here in Rome, though only our Caesar knows exactly where. There's one to the east in China, one to the south in Egypt, and one to the west in the Moorish lands. I'm sure only their respective leaders know where they are as well."

"And you expect them to just tell us?" Griselda asked.

"No, of course not," Phineas shook his head. "I expect them to trade them."

"For what?" Griselda scoffed.

"Their hearts," Phineas answered.

The three warlords exchanged confused and suspicious glances.

"Do you know what the Chief, Caesar, Emperor, Sultan, and Pharaoh all have in common, dear friends?" Phineas asked.

When no answer came he continued. "They are all fathers. And do you know where a father's heart lies? Not in his chest, but in the smile of his daughter."

"And you want us to go get 'me for you, don't you?" Ragnar barked.

"On the contrary," Phineas shook his head. "As we speak my men are ushering our five little princesses to their chambers."

"Wha-" the three warlords gasped as they glanced at each other.

"Consider it an act of good faith for our new alliance," Phineas lifted his goblet, and the three warlords did the same, smiling wide. After 20 years of humiliation things were finally starting to look up.

"Senator!" A guard yelled as he busted the study's doors down.

"What?" Phineas grumbled, eyes narrowed.

"Princess...from north...got away..." the guard panted.

"What?" Griselda's eyes darkened as she turned to Phineas.

"Then go and find her!" Phineas shouted. "She couldn't have gotten far."

"Oh, we did," the guard answered. "But you won't like it."

Phineas set his glass down and followed after the guard, Griselda, Ragnar, and Chantai in tow. They walked through the ornate halls, out past that gardens and to a small arena where Phineas kept his many beastly pets. He was quite proud of them. They'd all been well-trainer and had yet to lose to a gladiator. His hydra was his greatest monster, but it was hidden by a crowd of guards gawking outside its cage.

Phineas raced to it, pushed through the crowd, and gasped. "What in the name of Jupiter?"

All eight of the hydra's heads were snapping and hissing at the sea of people outside the cage, but what caught Phineas' eye was a young girl, no more than 16, standing behind the hydra's upper left flank. Only half of her face and her auburn ponytail could be seen as she peaked out at the men behind the cage's door.

"Beast won't let us near her," the captain of the guard said. "Already sent one man in to get her, but...well..." the captain pointed.

Phineas looked to see the girl had now moved out from behind the hydra and held up a sword that looked eerily similar to that of a Roman soldier's. In the corner behind her lay a pile of bent and bloody armor.

"Oh, great, now she's armed!" Ragnar grumbled.

"She's a little girl," Phineas scoffed.

"A Viking girl," Chantai corrected. "She's probably been using one of those since she could toddle."

"How ghastly," Phineas cringed. He then sighed and shrugged. "Well, if she'd rather stay with the beast it's fine with me. So long as she stays out," he glanced at the captain.

"I'll send my best troops to guard her," the captain answered.

"NO!" Griselda shouted. "Do you have any idea who her father is? Leaving her with a dragon is the LAST thing you should do!"

"You want to go get her out?" The captain asked.

The girl raised the sword again, a glimmer of challenge shining in her eyes, daring someone, anyone to try and come get her.

"Besides, where will she go?" Phineas sniffed. "She is quite a long way from home after all."

Slowly everyone but five guards newly appointed to watch the cage began to file away. Griselda was the last to leave, still watching the girl who was now sitting cross-legged next to her new scaly friend. She was calm. Far too calm for a teenage girl who'd just been kidnapped and taken to the other side of the world. Griselda glared as she followed after her comrades. There was something cooking in that girl's mind already, she just knew it.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

"Neigh!" A large horse bellowed as it stampeded into New Berk's town square and stood on its hind legs.

"Isn't that Zephyr's horse?" a short man with a rather large helmet asked.

"Why is it alone?" A large burly man wondered out loud.

A crowd began forming around the frantic animal as it stomped at the ground.

"Let me through! Let me through!" a loud voice ordered. Astrid forced her way through the crowd and rushed to the horse's side, grabbing its reigns to calm it. This was indeed Zephyr's horse, but the young girl in question was nowhere to be seen.

Astrid's brow furrowed deeply. Why would her daughter's horse come back without her. The saddle bag was still in place, but open. Astrid reached in and pulled out a square of willow bark with a single word carved into it:

ROME.

"HICCUP!" Astrid shrieked as her stomach dropped.

"I'll get him," the short man from before said as he raced off. "Fish, get the horses ready."

"On it!" The larger man shouted as he raced to the stables.

The short man ran as fast as he could to Magda's house and all but busted the door down.

"Hiccup!" He shouted.

"Snotlout?" Hiccup asked as he stood up from where he's been watching Ivar sleep to make sure his breathing didn't stop.

"Come quick, something's happened to Zephyr."

Hiccup's face blanched as he followed after the smaller man. They ran to the town square where Astrid and Fishlegs were with five horses. Hiccup ran to his wife's side.

"Where's Zephyr?" He asked.

"I don't know!" Astrid exclaimed. "Her horse came back without her and this was in the saddlebag."

She passed the bark to Hiccup, who frowned. The Romans weren't due to visit for another month or so. Fearing what the note could imply, Hiccup all but jumped into his saddle and took off. Astrid, Snotlout, and Fishlegs followed after him.

They rode to the willow grove they knew Zephyr was going to. Something glinting in the sun caught Hiccup's eye. He jumped off his steed to investigate, and his heart stopped.

It was Zephyr's sword.

Fishlegs knelt down next to him and looked, eyes growing wide as he examined the imprints in the frozen, snowy grass.

"Looks like she fell here," he said. "Off the horse." Fishlegs stood up and began examine the area. Hiccup and Astrid watched him, hearts racing. Fishlegs shook his head.

"There were at least a dozen people here!" He exclaimed. "Surrounding this tree and...can I see that bark?"

Hiccup walked to Fishlegs, hands trembling as he passed the bark to him. Fishlegs held it up to a fresh cut on the tree. It was a perfect fit.

"Zephyr was definitely here." Fishlegs decided. "She must have been cutting the bark when the other people surrounded her."

Fishlegs looked back at the ground. "Looks like she tried to make a run for it." He mused as he followed the tracks. "She slid under her attackers here, ran to horse, got on it, began to ride away...but fell off for some reason."

"Maybe this?" Snotlout said as he picked up a small dart…

...from the wrong side. The dart pricked him in the palm and he collapsed unconscious to the ground.

"Yup. That probably did it!" Fishlegs nodded as he continued following the tracks. "They picked her up and…" his voice quavered as he pointed in the correct direction. "Carried her to the shore this way."

"Fishlegs go back to New Berk and tell them to ready the ships!" Hiccup ordered as he jumped back onto his horse. "Astrid, come with me!"

Astrid was already in her saddle and the two rode off. Fishlegs headed back to town, leaving Snotlout snoozing in the grass.

The frantic parents urged their horses as fast as they could go as they charged to the shore. But when they got there they found nothing. Nothing but the greatest imprint of a rowboat in the sand, proof there had once been a ship here. But now it was long gone.

"Zephyr!" Astrid screamed as she jumped from her horse and ran to the water line, squinting to try and spot a ship. "Zephyr!"

Hiccup put a shaking hand to his forehead as panic pumped through his veins.

"This doesn't make sense!" He whispered. "We've has nothing but peace...wha...why?"

"Zephyr!" Astrid screamed again, hands shaking. "ZEPHYR!"

At hearing his wife call their daughter's name he snapped back to reality.

"Astrid, come on," he called. "We need to get back to New Berk!"

"No!" Astrid shouted. "No, we have to find her! Zephyr!"

"They've already taken her to sea, we need to get to the ships!" Hiccup shouted. "Come on!"

Astrid just stood there, shaking, staring into the ocean. "Ze...Zephyr…"

Hiccup slipped out of the saddle and walked towards his wife. He set and hand on either shoulder and turned her towards him.

"We'll get her back," he promised.

Astrid just stared at him, shaking.

"We'll get her back, but we need to get the ships ready so we can go after them."

Astrid nodded. They both climbed back onto their horses and rode off.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Zephyr watched as the Roman...important person (she was a Viking, how the heck was she supposed to know how Roman society worked) who'd most likely ordered her capture and his friends walked off.

They were actually going to let her stay in here! Idiots!

The woman turned around and flared at her. Zephyr arched an eyebrow as she watched her turn around and follow after the Roman. She'd mentioned Dad, which meant they probably knew about the dragons.

That was NOT good!

Hold up! We're the dragons a part of this? Was that why she'd been taken?

"Gerrah! Gerrah!"

Speaking of dragons…

Zephyr turned to looked at the eight heads peering down at her.

"Uh...hi…"

One head lurched forward, making Zephyr jump and stumble back as it peered at her.

"I'm a friend," Zephyr said as two more heads bent down to look at her. "Don't eat a friend!"

The five remaining heads bent down to her level, clicking and cawing curiously. Zephyr gulped as she closed her eyes, turned her head away, and held her palm out. Each head took a turn sniffing it, then they all lurched forward and wrapped their necks around the wiry girl, nipping playfully at her hair, and nuzzling up under her arms.

"Alright, Alright." Zephyr chuckled as she reached out and petted each along the bony ridges going down the back of their brows. A sad smile spread across her face. "I guess I'm the only friend you've had for a while, huh?"

The dragon cooed as it settles down. Zephyr took the chance to examine her new friend. He seemed to be in good condition, all things considered. Clearly he'd been in several battles, nasty ones by the looks of the numerous scars covering his body.

"How long has this guy had you?" Zephyr asked. The dragon crooned sadly as Zephyr petted its back.

"I know a place you can go," she said softly as all eight heads watched her. "Where you'll be safe and free. I don't think there's a dragon like you there, I've never read anything about one like you. But you could still escape there and live a good life."

The heads nuzzled up against her again.

"You've just gotta help me get out of here," she sighed.

"What is she saying?" One of the guards stationed outside the cage asked. Zephyr listened intently, but without showing it. So far she'd only spoken to one being, her new scaly friend, and in Norse. So far no one here knew she could speak or understand Latin and she was going to keep it that way.

"Maybe some sort of spell," another guard said. "I mean, look at the beast, never seen him this calm."

"You sayin' she's a witch?"

Witch? Witch? That was new! She'd been called many things before: need, clutz, a hot mess, but not a witch. Zephyr wasn't really sure how she was supposed to take this one.

"Well, sure. They're all a bunch of savages up north! Makes perfect sense their princess would be a witch.

Zephyr almost saw her brain she rolled her eyes so far back. Where to even begin with everything wrong in that statement.

It was then she realized all the guards were staring at her.

"Uh…" she stared back, thinking a bit before saying, in Norse. "Hi, how you doing? Boo!"

On the "boo" she jumped forward, hands raised. All of the guards startled back and they immediately returned to their stations in a semicircle around the cage door.

"Huh," Zephyr hummed to herself. This whole witch thing might actually come in handy…

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"So when are we sending word out?" Ragnar asked.

"Not anytime soon," Phineas answered. "We'll wait until they're in a full panic, then we'll send word."

"That may not be wise," Chantai mumbled. "The Emperor of China is a clever man, and he surrounds himself with wise men. It won't take him long to find out where his daughter is."

"He has to realize she's missing first. Doesn't the emperor have over a dozen wives with a little under thirty children between them? Granted I did take the only daughter of his favorite wife, but still, it will take a good while for him to miss one of 30. Same with the sultan-"

"Not this Sultan," Griselda grumbled. "He could marry a dozen women if he wanted, but he's only ever had eyes for one."

"And together they have twelve children, eleven of which are daughters.. Again, it will take a while to miss one.'

"But the other three?" Ragnar asked.

"Bah! Our Caesar is an overblown idiot who puts too much stock in loyalty to country and crown. He'd never suspect one of his own senators to betray him! The Pharaoh, well, he has no shortage of enemies. There's a long list of people he'd suspect before me."

"And the chief?" Chantai asked.

"Bah, a northern savage! He'll never figure out where she's gone!"

"I think you're underestimating him," Griselda warned. "He's not as stupid as you think. He's quite clever, in fact. Clever enough to somehow make all northern dragons disappear, remember?"

Phineas brushed Griselda off with a flick of his wrist. "Then we'll distract them. My birthday is this week afterall, nothing like a party to cover things up."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Antonio sighed in relief as he saw a looming mansion ahead of him. This had to be it! This had to be where they'd taken Claudia! Antonio carefully shuffled forward, squinting at the name above the door. He couldn't read very well, being born a slave, but Claudia had only taught him a small bit. Enough to decipher the name "Phineas" on the arch over the door.

Antonio grumbled as he began looking about. He didn't know anything about senate affairs, of course, but he knew of Senator Phineas. He'd served him many times when he visited the Caesar's palace. He was a rude, pompous man who always tried to undermine the Caesar's power. He would be the one to take their beloved princess!

It took him a little searching, but Antonio managed to find the slave entrance. Blending in shouldn't be a problem. He'd been a slave his whole life, he knew how to act. He also knew what the price would likely be when he returned home. As long as Claudia made it back, though, he didn't care.

He made his way to the kitchen, it wasn't hard to find. Phineas' manor had a very similar layout to the Caesar's palace. The kitchen would always be a good place to start when trying to get to the bottom of anything. That's where all the gossip happened.

The place was bustling when he got there. It looked as if they were preparing a feast. Fine by him, less a chance of anyone noticing the new guy and wanting to ask questions. He quickly found a pile of dirty dishes and began scrubbing them as he listened.

"...tryin' ta blackmail five world leaders. Senators gone bloomin' mad."

"Yeah, and it will be our hides that get skinned when this goes south."

"Just wish the Moorish one and the hydra would shut up!"

Moorish one? So Claudia wasn't the only one they took! Antonio didn't know if that made him feel better or worse. And a Hydra? He'd only ever dead ones before in his life. They were exceedingly rare creatures, hunted to the brink of extinction a few generations ago. They'd only started popping back up, usually in gladiator rings.

Did senator Phineas have a Hydra? It was fairly likely. He was wealthy enough for one.

"Someone oughta take this to the dungeons."

Dungeons. Captives. Claudia!

Antonio dropped the dirty dishes and scrambled to grab whatever "it" was. It was a tray with five bowls of gruel and five cups of water.

"I'll take it," Antonio offered, grabbing the tray and heading off, ignoring the strange looks he got.

He didn't actually know where the dungeon was, but assumed it would be in the same general spot as in the palace. He was right. The guards let him in without question. That was good. He could come and go as he pleased. But getting Claudia back out would be-

"HEY!"

Antonio jumped and turned at the shout. In the first cell to his right was a young girl with brown skin,a gold nose ring, and a purple headscarf that covered her hair.

"Let me out!" the girl shouted as she banged her fist on the door. Her latin was very good. Barely even an accent. Clearly she was well educated. "Do you know what you are doing? My father's the Sultan! He'll come and kill all of you if you don't let us go right now!"

Antonio slid one bowl and glass into her cell. The girl glanced down at it and kept screaming.

"Oh, you think some food is going to shut me up? How do I know you haven't poisoned it?"

A loud sob of fear came from the cell next to her. Antonio shuffled over to her looked to see another young girl huddled in a corner. She pulled her flowing, colorful robes over her thin, pale frame. Tears rolled down from her almond shaped eyes as her black hair fell into her face.

"Don't worry, sweetie, Rima is going to get us out of here," the first girl declared.

Antonio left the crying girl some food and water before moving onto the next cell. In it was another dark skinned girl, dressed in all white, her hair woven into hundreds of tiny braids. She stared out the tiny window in her cell. Antonio didn't bother her, only left her her lunch and moved onto the final cell.

A young girl with curly golden hair sat in the corner, fiddling with the edges of her luxurious toga as Antonio whispered:

"Claudia. Claudia?"

The girl perked up her head and turned to him. "Antonio?"

"Sh," Antonio whispered as he slid her food and drink under her cell.

"Antonio," Claudia crawled to him and grasped onto the bars between them. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving you, obviously," Antonio answered.

"How?"

Antonio bit his lip. "I haven't thought that far ahead, honestly."

Claudia rolled her eyes. "You never do. I mean, have you even thought about what will happen when you go home? You left your master's house without permission. You'll-'

"I know. I know. I'm working on it!" Antonio promised.

"Working on it how?"

"Well, I found you, didn't I?" Antonio asked. "Now I've just gotta find a way to get you out."

"Us too if you don't mind," the girl with the head scarf asked.

"Well, sure," Antonio said. "Why exactly did he take all of you?"

"I'm not sure," Claudia answered. "Certainly he wishes to blackmail our fathers, though for what I'm unsure." the girl in the braids said.

"Maybe the Northern girl knows?" The one with braids suggested.

'Northern girl?" Antonio asked.

"There is a fifth one," Claudia explained. "But they never brought her to the dungeon. They said she took off once she got here and jumped into a hydra's cage."

"So she killed herself!?" Antonio gasped.

"No," Claudia shook her head. "She's still alive. In fact the hydra's protecting her."

"Wha-How?"

Claudia shrugged.

"I hear men say she might be witch," the girl in the colorful robes suggested in broken latin.

"Well she is from the north where the savages live so it might be possible," Claudia muttered. "Still, maybe she can help you."

"A possible witch living with a hydra help us?" Antonio arched an eyebrow.

"You have any better idea?" Claudia asked. "Besides, you've got to bring her lunch anyways."

She gestured to the food on the tray in Antonio's hands.

"Oh," Antonio stated. He'd not questioned why he was given five sets of food when there were only four girls in here.

"Well don't just sit there, go find her!" The one in braids snapped. Antonio stood up and walked out, but not before promising Claudia once more:

"I will get you out of here, whatever it takes."

Claudia smiled and nodded at him. He shuffled out of the dungeon.

A hydra cage. Where would that be? Probably outside for starts, but where?

Antonio found a door that led to what looked like a garden. That was a good place to start at least. He wandered outside and looked about until he found a structure up ahead that looked like an arena.

"Well, arena, coliseum, close right?" Antonio asked as he walked towards it. Inside were several cages that held all kinds of beastly animals: lions, bears, tigers, and, Yes, a hydra!

Half a dozen men were stationed outside the cage. Antonio cautiously made his way towards them, thankful when they hardly acknowledged him. He squinted as he peered inside.

Sure enough, lounged up against the hydra's side was a young girl! She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. She was small in stature, and quite thin. Freckles decorated her face, partially covered under her bangs. A messy, dark auburn ponytail fell over one shoulder as she absent-mindlessly fiddled with it.

Antonio bent down and slid the tray in through the bars. He checked over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being closely watched or listened to, them leaned closer. The hydra growled and he leaned back but still whispered:

"Psst! Hey! Do you know why you and the other girls were taken?"

There was no answer. The girl barely even glanced in his direction.

Antonio sighed. "Of course you can't understand me! Why would a savage girl speak Latin?"

Antonio stood up and walked off.

Zephyr waited until his back was turned. There was that "savage" word again, still, at least she knew for certain she wasn't the only one now.

"Boy!" One of the guards called, stopping Antonio. He turned to him as the guard held out a sheet of paper. "Shift report, take it to the Senator's study."

Zephyr leaned forward, listening and watching intently.

"Erm, I'm new, can you tell me where-"

"First door to the right going up these steps. That there's the window to it," the guard said.

Zephyr looked at said window. She squinted as she leaned to get a closer look. There was a series of vines growing under it. Not the best climbing tools but she could work with it.

As Antonio walked off the guards began to file out. Zephyr watched in wonder. She thought the changing of the guards would have been scaffold! One guard go, then another, and another! Not all at once! Still, she counted as she waited.

Three minutes and 28 seconds. That's how long it took for the next batch of guards to show up. That wasn't a lot of time, but that window wasn't that far away. Of course she'd have to wait a few more guard changes to get a better gage of an average time for how long it took for each shift change. Still, things were starting to look up for her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

"Antonio!" Claudia whispered as the boy in question brought her her dinner. "Did you find the northern girl?"

"Found her, yes," Antonio sighed as he slid Claudia's bowl and cup into her cell. "But she can't speak Latin so a load of food that did."

"Was she scared?" Liling asked as Antonio approached her.

"Didn't look it if she was," Antonio answered passing her the food. "She just fiddle with her hair and napped against the hydra."

"Probably doesn't know what's happening," Rima decided.

"Do any of us?" Claudia questioned.

Iris just frowned and stroked her chin. "How old is she?"

Antonio shrugged. "I don't know. Fifteen or sixteen-ish?"

"And she's not scared?" Iris arched an eyebrow.

"Of course not! She's a witch!" Rima said. "She could probably kill this whole house with some voodoo disease in a split second."

"If so then why hasn't she done it?" Iris questioned.

Rima opened her mouth to answer, then closed it back, a puzzled look on her face.

"How is she keeping the hydra from killing her then?" Claudia asked.

"Dragons can be tamed," Liling whispered.

"WHAT!?" Antonio and Claudia looked at the little girl stunned.

"Tame a dragon?" Antonio arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, did you not know that?" Iris cocked her head to one side.

"Uh...no," Antonio answered. "Seeing as all dragons seem to want to do around here is kill us we hadn't really thought taming was an option!"

"Heh. That's why we don't bother 'me where I come from," Rima chuckled. "Sort of an unspoken agreement. We leave them alone, they leave us alone."

"So your saying this northern savage girl just waltzed into the cage and tamed the beast within a span of seconds?" Antonio asked.

Iris nodded. "Which is not easy to do…"

"How does this help us, though," Claudia asked.

"All I'm saying that it sounds like this northern girl knows something we don't," she turned to Antonio. "And you should probably keep an eye on her."

Antonio sighed. "Yes, Of course! Shouldn't be hard with a dragon and half a dozen guards on her at all times!"

"Well, Seeing as we have no other options what choice do we have," Iris crossed her arms.

Antonio sighed again. "I'll do what I can," he huffed as he left and went out to the arena to give the northern girl her dinner. The sun had already set when he got to the arena. The guards, once again, paid him no mind as he approached the cage. The hydra was asleep but the girl was nowhere to be seen.

Antonio blinked as he set the tray down. Had she escaped already!?

At the sound of the tray clicking against the stone floor the girl's head popped out from behind the hydra. She leapt over the beast with surprising agility for a princess and made her way to Antonio. As she took the tray from where he'd slid it in Antonio noticed some strange black stains on her finger tips. Antonio's eyebrows furrowed. Had those been there before?

The girl took the tray and climbed back behind the hydra, hiding her from view. Antonio stood on his toes to try and see over the massive beast, but to no avail. Well, how was he supposed to keep an eye on her if he couldn't see her?

"You, boy!" One of the guards called to him. Antonio quickly ran to him. The guard passed him a report and Antonio headed to the study, glancing at the closed window to make sure he remembered where it was before going out of the arena and around the courtyard to get to the staircase. He carefully pushed the door open and set the report on the desk on top of the other reports before turning to leave.

A cool breeze hit the back of his head and made him stop. He turned back around to see the window wide open.

Hadn't...hadn't that been closed not a minute earlier? Antonio looked about the study again. Now he noticed there were several odd little things out of place here and there. A cabinet was opened. As was a desk drawer. A new, blank, journal sat opened on the desk.

Antonio picked the journal up and thumbed through it. There was nothing in it at all! Why was it sitting open on a-

-there were pages missing! In the very back of the journal several pages had been ripped out, only leaving a thin frayed edge of paper left against the journal's binding. Antonio ran his hand over the frayed paper edges as he set the journal down and looked about the study some more.

Clearly someone had been messing around in here. But who? And for what?

Antonio looked in the open drawer. There was a box, once more, left open, with several charcoal pencils inside. Antonio picked one up, looking for clues. He ran his hand over to tip and the charcoal left a stain. Antonio gasped as he rubbed his fingers together.

These were the same kind of stains the Northern girl had on her hands!

Antonio put the pencil back and closed the drawer before dashing to the window and looking out. Just across from it was the hydra cage.

"There's no way…" Antonio murmured. He tapped his fingers on the window sill as he thought. Carefully, he closed the shutters back and slipped out of the study. The guard change wouldn't happen for another three hours, so he couldn't know for certain until then.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII **

Three hours passed. Antonio carefully crept back up the steps, checking over his shoulder to make sure no one saw him as he slipped back into the study. He found a trunk under the window to hide in. He opened the door, pushed the papers aside, and climbed in, leaving the door just a crack open so he could see without being spotted. Then he waited. And waited. And waited.

After several minutes Antonio heaved a sigh. "This is stupid he decided as he placed against the door to open it.

"_Clunk!" _

The sound of the window opening came from above him. A weight fell on the trunk, forcing the lid closed. Antonio gasped, waiting for the weight to disappear before he peaked out the crack in the trunk door to watch. A silhouette sprinted off toward a cabinet against the wall left to the desk.

Antonio's jaw dropped open. Sure enough it was the northern girl! She opened the cabinet, slipped a rolled up scroll inside, took another out, then closed it back. She then began shifting through the papers, notes, and letters on the desk. As she thumbed through them she whispered something to herself, slightly nodding her head with each word, probably counting. She found a letter that seemed to catch her interest for she took it, set it under her a with the scroll she'd taken, and then sprinted back to the window.

Antonio waited until he heard her climb back out to make his exit from the trunk. He ever so carefully slipped to the floor and peaked just the top of his head over the window sill. The girl slid back into the hydra cage with her loot and then hopped over and behind the beast.

Twenty seconds or so later the next batch of guards appeared at their stations. Knowing the report would be dropped off soon Antonio climbed back in the trunk to hide. He waited until he heard the door open, footsteps to the desk, back and the door closed to climb back out. He immediately farted to the cabinet to investigate. What had she taken?

He took the scroll she'd returned and unrolled it. It was a map of the manor.

Could she be?

Antonio noticed black fingerprints on the edges of the map, most likely from the girl. He put it back and looked at the other scrolls to see which ones had fingerprints on them. He quickly found one and unfurled it. It was a map of Rome. No others had prints. So far she'd only taken three.

Antonio put everything back on the cabinet and wandered to the desk. He looked at the stack she'd been thumbing through. They were all letters of reports to Phineas from all over the world, military, trade, and political operations and such. But what was in the one she took? Of course there was no way for him-

"Wait…" Antonio looked through the letters again. They were all in Latin! Why would they be of any good to her if she couldn't speak Latin!

Or could she…

Now that he thought about it she hadn't actually given any sign she couldn't understand what everyone was saying. She just hadn't shown that she could either.

Antonio glances at the window again, a small smirk on his face. "Well, well, well, northern girl. Aren't you a clever little minx."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

"Land ho!" Tuffnut shouted from where he was standing on the top of the mast. "Rome two knots off starboard!"

"Idiot! It's supposed to be two notches!" Ruffnut argues from the other mast.

"I'm sorry sister, but you are mistaken! The correct term is knots!"

"Ah, But you are the one who is mista-"

"ZEPHYR!"

Both twins jumped at the shout Gobber gave out as he leaned over the ship railing and cupped his hand to his mouth. "WE'RE COMING FOR YA LASSIE!"

Through the early morning fog the silhouette of a dock and shore came into view. Loud war cries began to sound off from every ship in the entire New Berk armada as it sailed its way to Rome's shores.

"Remember!" Hiccup called from the main ship. "This is a rescue mission! Everyone's main goal is to find my daughter and bring her back safely."

"Right," Eret nodded, following behind the chief. "Once Zephyr is safely on board our ships we will then plan our retaliation."

"Got it," Snotlout nodded. "Rescue, then revenge."

"Aye!" Tuffnut cheered as he jumped down to the deck. "And what a wonderful revenge it will be! They'll rue the day they dared to steal away our beloved chief's precious daughter!"

"All the rueing!" Ruffnut agreed.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Eret warned. "This is a new kind of enemy we are facing. We'll need to wait on Dagur, Mala, Alvin, and Atali to catch up before we make a decisive attack."

"On the contrary, dearest Eret son of Eret," Ruffnut argues. "It's our heir they stole and therefore the vengeance should be ours!"

"All ours! Yes! Correct, my good sister!"

By now Hiccup had turned his comrades out, and was instead focused on the approaching shoreline.

"Hold on, baby," He whispered. "We're coming."

Astrid and Nuffink soon joined him on either side, Astrid with her freshly sharpened axe and Nuffink with his war hammer. Hiccup turned to both of them and nodded as he unsheathes his sword.

"Uh...am I seeing things again or…" Ruffnut mused.

"AH! Somewhere dared to invade Rome before us!" Tuffnut screamed.

Hiccup snapped his head back around and squinted to see through the fog. Sure enough the port was full of ships that clearly were not Roman made.

"What in the name…" Hiccup wondered as the ships drew closer. There were crowds of people on the docks all screaming and shouting and raising weapons above their heads.

"Get ready! Stand by!" Hiccup called, unsure of what to expect when they made port. As his ship reached the dock a group of dark skinned men decked in colorful, loose robes made their way to the ship's side. They all held swords and spears in their hands, but made no move to attack.

"Steady!" Hiccup called, instinctively holding an arm out in front of Nuffink.

One man in particular stepped out from the center of the group. He had an elaborately wrapped white scarf around his head, and a gold colored cape flowing from his shoulders.

"Nuffink stay here," Hiccup said as he began walking towards the man in the gold cloak. Astrid followed close behind him.

"Steady," Hiccup warned the anxious Vikings behind him as he and his wife stepped off the ship and onto the dock across from the group of men. At the sight of Astrid many of the men lowered their weapons and softened their stances. Hiccup immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, still keeping his sword in the other.

The man in the gold cloak looked Hiccup up and down then spouted off something he couldn't understand. The man cocked his head to one side then said something else. Hiccup could tell that phrase had been spoken in Latin, but the man's accent was so thick he couldn't understand it.

"Norse? Norse perhaps?" The man asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Who are you?" Hiccup asked.

The man's eyes narrowed slightly as he answered. "I am Yosef Hassan, fifth Sultan of the Nasrid Dynasty of the Moors. Who are you?"

"Hiccup Haddock, Chief Of New Berk."

So far so good, they hadn't been attacked and Yosef looked as confused as they were. But this was not going to help them get Zephyr.

"What is your business in Rome, Hiccup Haddock?" Yosef asked, his men raising their weapons again.

"The Romans took my daughter. I'm here to get her back. So please," Hiccup took a single step closer to Yosef. "Get out of my way."

Yosef's eyes widened. "They took your daughter too?"

Hiccup blinked. "They took yours?"

"My third eldest," Yosef nodded. "Rima. They stole her away as she rode her horse in the meadows."

Hiccup's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. "Seems you and I have a common enemy."

"So it does," Yosef nodded back. "This is your first time in Rome I assume as I've never seen you. Shall my men and I lead the way to the Caesar's palace."

"Please. But my warriors will be angry if your men don't let them have their fun when they get there."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Yosef smiled before barking orders to his men.

"Vikings," Hiccup called over his shoulder. "Forward!"

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII **

Antonio yawned as he waited just outside the arena. He hadn't slept a wink since getting here, and it didn't look like that would happen any time soon. Still, at least he was making progress.

Maybe?

The guard handed a report to a slave and the regiment marched off. Once they were gone Antonio made his move. He darted towards the hydra cage and peered in. The girl had just popped her head over the beast's back, but at seeing Antonio she crouched back down.

"Stop hiding," Antonio called. "I know you're there. I need your help!"

No answer.

"I know you can understand me. I saw what you did. Why would you steal Latin letters if you can't-AUGH!"

It happened so quick he barely had time to react. One moment the girl was still hiding behind the hydra. The next she'd spring to the cage door and had dragged him inside. She threw him to the ground and pointed a sword she most likely stole from a soldier at his neck.

"Who else knows?" She demanded. Not only did she speak Latin but she spoke it very well.

"No one! No one else! Just me!" Antonio insisted, hands raised above his head.

"And you are?" She asked, eyebrows knitting closer together.

"No one important! Just a slave!"

The girl's gaze softened. "Just a slave, hm?" She took her foot off his chest and stepped back, but kept her sword in her hand. "Let me guess, you want me to help you escape to freedom?"

"No, actually," Antonio answered as he cautiously sat up. "I need you to help me save my mistress and the other three princesses that were taken."

The girl's eyes flicked up, then she grabbed Antonio by the arm and dragged him to the back of the cage and behind the hydra.

"Wait," Antonio stiffened as one of the heads lifted out of its slumber to gaze at him.

"Guards will be back soon," the girl said as she squatted down behind the beast.

"Yeah, But-"

"Don't worry. As long as you don't do anything stupid dragon won't eat you. He knows your not a threat."

"And how's that?"

"Because your a fish one with nothing but a dusty oversized shirt and worn out...whatever those are on your feet."

"Sandals," Antonio crosses his arms. "And I came here for help not insults."

"Oh, so you still got some fire in you," the girl smirked. "Good. I was scared they'd beaten you into a mindless pet."

"Still insulting me."

"That last one was a compliment! And I am helping," the girl crawled over to a corner that had a stack of papers. Antonio recognizes most of them as being the bits of paper stolen from the journal, only now they'd been scribbled on. As Antonio drew closer he saw that the "scribblings" were actually tracings of the maps she'd taken from the study.

"Here's the plan so far," the girl said. "Since the Caesar's palace is the closest we'll head there once we escape. From there we send word to all the other leaders, if they're not already there, willing to bet my dad and all of New Berk will be," the girl sighed. "Anywho, we send word telling them Phineas' plan and then make a plan of action from there."

"Wait, you know what Phineas' plan is?" Antonio asked.

"Yes," the girl passed him the letter Antonio saw her take earlier.

He squinted as he tried to read it. There were a lot of big words here he wasn't familiar with. After a few minutes of silence the girl gasped.

"Oh! Right, sorry," she sheepishly took the letter back. "Basically he wants to hold me and the other four girls as ransom for the location of each Hidden World."

"Hidden World?"

"I think you Romans call yours the Hydra's Lair," the girl said as she began thumbing through her papers and making notes.

"The Caesar doesn't know where the Hydra's Lair is," Antonio scoffed. "No one does! Anyone who's tried to find it has never returned."

"No shock there," the girl sniffed.

"What was that?"

"I mean I wouldn't be happy if you just charged into my home weapons raised, much less if you kept taking my relatives and friends and keeping them in cages so they could be forced to fight to the death in arenas."

Antonio crossed his arms again. "So, you basically have this all figured out, eh?"

"Not quite. I don't know how to get the other four girls out of the dungeon yet-"

"Oh, you're planning on getting them?" Antonio asked.

"Of course! I'm not leaving them behind," The girl answered, before narrowing her eyes and adding. "I'm not a savage."

Antonio gulped. "Oh. Eh-heh. Guess you-"

"Mm-hmm," the girl made another not on her paper and then tapped her pencil against her chin.

"I'm pretty sure me and our friend here could take out the prison guards on our own, but the noise would attract attention, which would complicate th-"

"Our friend? As in the hydra!?" Antonio jabbed his thumb at said creature who huffed in response.

"Well, how'd you think we were getting palace? Walking?"

"We're gonna ride it!?"

"Yup."

"We can't do that!"

"Why not? There's six of us and eight heads. That's two extra seats!"

"You don't ride dragons!"

"Actually I do. Once a year, that is. And you will too if you wanna get out of here."

Antonio just stared at her. "You're insane."

"It's a Viking thing. Viking! Not savage. Thank you!" She shot him a glare before glancing back at papers. "Have you been in the dungeon yet?"

"Yes. A few times actually. They don't mind slaves going in and out, but I'm pretty sure they won't let me bring anyone out."

"Hm," the girl chewed on the edge of her pencil as she looked back at her maps. "We need some kind of distraction."

"What kind of distraction?"

"Something that will drown out the noise if-"

"Well, what about a drunken feast? Phineas is having one tomorrow night."

"Why didn't you say so?" The girl snapped.

"I didn't think it was important!"

"Well, it is," the girl grumbled as she looked back over her notes.

"Alright, so you can get in and out without issue. That means you can let them out of their cells and arm them."

"Uh, Okay, How? And arm them with what?"

The girl went back to her corner and came back with an assortment of items.

"Lock pick," she held up a bent and twisted bit of metal, then grabbed some jagged looking strips of metal. "Makeshift daggers. Not the best made ever, my dad and brother are the blacksmiths of the family, but they'll do. They're just for self defense anyways."

"Where'd you get those?" Antonio asked as he picked up the lock pick.

"Made then. Used the dishes you kept bringing me."

"YOU made THESE!?"

"Well, he helped," the girl jabbed her thumb at the hydra. "But yes."

Antonio just shook his head. "I thought you were a princess!"

The girl shrugged. "Yeah, technically, what's that got to do with it?"

"Don't you have people to do this kind of things for you?"

"Yeah, that's why they're not that good," she snatched the key pick away from him. "But we'll just need them Incase someone grabs us and we've gotta stun them long enough to make a run for it."

"Oh, is that all?" Antonio stammered, still stunned a princess could even think of all this much less do it.

"Yeah, they can't kill us. We're to valuable, so no worries there." She stopped and sucked a breath in through her teeth. "Except maybe you. How about I let you have the sword the day of?"

"I don't know how to use a sword!" Antonio exclaimed.

"You stick the pointy end in the other person."

Antonio glowered at the girl. "I know that much! I just don't know how you go about it!"

The girl picked up the sword and made a few thrusting motions with it. "Stabby-stab!"

Antonio's flower deepened. "I came to you for help not sass."

"I am helping, and the sass is a bonus!" She winked at him as she put the sword down.

"Whatever. So I let Claudi and the girls out and give them the knives. Then what."

"Wait for me and Friend here to take out the guards. Hopefully the noise from the banquet will drown out the fight. Then we all fly to the palace, tell our fathers what's happening, and we go from there."

"So that's it? That's your plan?"

"You got a better one?"

"No. But what happens if you can't take out the guards."

"Wing it," the girl shrugged.

"Wing it? So no back up plan!?"

"Nu-Uh. We hardly have enough resources for a plan A. How you expect me to come up with a plan B?"

"Are all you Vikings this crazy?"

"Only the good ones. And I'll say it again, do you have a better idea?"

"No, but this plan of yours seems well, dangerous."

"Yeah, it's an escape. Most escapes are."

Antonio sighed. Well, so far this was the only plan they had, so he had no choice but to go along with it. "Fine. I'll tell the other girls tomorrow."

"Good," the girl nodded as she shifted through her papers again. "Zephyr, by the way."

"Hm?" Antonio asked.

"My name is Zephyr."

"Oh. Hi. I'm Antonio."

"Hi," the girl smiled as she held out her hand to shake. Antonio hesitated. Should he take it. As…

…weird as this girl was she was still a princess and he was...well…

"Uh...you shake it…"

"I know. But, are you sure you want me to do that? I mean, you're a princess and I-"

"Just shake it."

"Alright."

He did so and Zephyr smiled. "Get some rest. You look beat. And you won't be able to leave until the next guard change anyways."

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII **

"Caesar!" Yosef shouted in Latin as the Moors and Vikings approached the palace. Hiccup readied his sword, Astrid her axe, and Nuffink his hammer and the men and warriors behind them began to hype themselves up.

"Caesar! Show yourself!" Yosef ordered.

"Get ready!" Hiccup yelled over his shoulder. War cries rang out.

The gates to the palace swung open. All three Haddocks bent their knees, ready to pounce at the army that would surely come pouring out.

Only it didn't. Instead only three men came out. One was dressed in a white and gold sheet-like attire with a crown in the shape of leaves around his head. The second wore layers of gold silk all over him and had a tall hat with gold beads dripping down it. The third had a short white robe, gold, emerald, and lapis beaded collar, and a tall white hat on his head.

"Let me guess," the one in the sheet asked in a sad voice. "You come looking for your daughters."

"Where is my sister, you leaf-headed freak!?" Nuffink demanded, in Latin, as he stepped forward, hammer raised above his shoulder.

"If only I knew," the same man answered. "My daughter has been taken too."

"What?" Yosef gasped as Hiccup's eyes darkened. This was not good.

"I am Caesar Augustus or Rome. This is Emperor Fu of China, and Pharaoh Hotep of Egypt. All of our daughters have been kidnapped."

"All of them?" Yosef wondered out loud.

Hiccup frowned. He wasn't sure how much of this he trusted. He set a hand on Nuffink's shoulder and whispered to him.

"Act as my translator."

"But you can speak-"

"Yeah, I don't want them knowing that yet, though."

Nuffink nodded slowly, not fully understanding but trusting his father.

"My only child was taken a week ago," Augustus nodded.

"As was my eldest daughter," Hotep said in Latin.

"As well as mine," Fu added in broken Latin.

Nuffink repeated everything back to his father in Norse, though Hiccup perfectly understood every word. Speaking wise his Latin wasn't nearly as good as his children's, but he could understand it just fine. Still, he didn't trust this situation. Five leaders' daughters went missing the same day? That was just too crazy! Something was most certainly up and Hiccup didn't exactly trust these other four men. He even found himself inching closer to Nuffink, keeping a hand on his son's shoulder.

"My third eldest was also taken," Yosef said. "And the Viking chief's daughter as well."

"This is a conspiracy!" Fu shouted. "I want whoever is responsible's head on a platter!"

"This is certainly too strange to be a coincidence," Hotep agreed. "I suggest we all work together to get to the bottom of it."

"Tell them so long as they help me get my heir back I'll cooperate with them," Hiccup whispered to Nuffink. As his son relayed the message Hiccup turned to Eret.

"Eret, you're a sneaky guy. When we get inside I want you checking every room in that palace for any sign of Zephyr."

"Of course," Eret nodded.

"Please, everyone, come inside," Augustus beckoned the Vikings and the Moors inside. Hiccup grabbed Astrid's hand while keeping the other on Nuffink's shoulder, holding them close where I One could snatch them away as well.


End file.
